


Puzzle

by MechBull



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 07:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4737443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Previously posted to Livejournal June 2010</p>
<p>Katie tries to figure out what's bothering Reid. (Small little follow-up to 5/31 ep)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puzzle

Katie first knew something was wrong when Reid turned down her suggestion of pizza.

_Reid turned down food._

Half-jokingly, she leaned across the couch and placed her palm on his forehead, feeling for a fever. Reid made a face, backing away from her and glaring.

“You feeling OK?” Katie asked.

“I’m peachy,” Reid shot back, standing up and walking into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out his bottle of water.

He didn’t return to the couch. Instead he leaned against the edge of the table. He opened the bottle and took a sip, avoiding Katie’s eyes the entire time.

“Something happen today?” she asked, trying another tactic.

“What would have happened?”

“I don’t know? Something with a patient?”

“All my patients are fine. Better than fine.”

“Then what?”

“Katie, drop it,” Reid replied and walked out of the living room. A few moments later, she heard his bedroom door shut.

**

The next bizarre occurrence happened the following night. Reid clearly loved Jacob, but he certainly wasn’t known to get up and take care of him in the middle of the night. He fake-grudgingly agreed to bedtime rituals, but anything after midnight was Katie’s responsibility. And yet, when Katie woke up at 2:30 – absolutely certain Jacob was fussing even if the monitor wasn’t picking up the noise – and went to his room, she saw Reid already there. He was standing near the crib, wearing nothing but sweatpants and holding Jacob snug against his bare chest. Jacob was gnawing on Reid’s shoulder in a way that suggested teeth were close to the surface, but Reid didn’t seem to mind. He just swayed slowly back and forth, talking in a low rumble.

“At least you like me, right, buddy? Don’t grow up too fast, ‘kay? Being an adult is no fun.”

Katie tilted her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, and then she backed silently out of the room.

**

Katie began to guess at the answer later that week when she walked into the coffee shop and spotted Lily and Holden leaning over a table towards each other as they talked in hushed voices.

Katie waved, maneuvering Jacob's stroller between tables and making her way over to them. Holden turned towards her, immediately making funny faces at Jacob.

“Hi guys!” she said. “What’s going on?”

Lily and Holden exchanged a glance, and faced her again. “Maybe you can help us figure that out,” Holden said.

Katie turned to him, shocked. “Huh?”

Lily nodded triumphantly. “See, she doesn’t know anything. I told you he wasn’t involved in it.”

“He _who_?”

“Your…Dr. Oliver,” Lily explained.

Katie shook her head quickly. “I’m so confused.”

Holden sighed. “Luke and Noah broke up.”

“Like…ages ago, I thought.”

“They were having problems. They still loved each other,” Lily objected.

“It’s definitely official now,” Holden said. “Luke is in a pretty bad place right now, but he’s refusing to talk about it. Just saying he messed everything up.”

“Holden thinks that Dr. Oliver is involved, but clearly he’s not. You would have heard something, I’m sure.”

Katie inhaled excitedly, as the puzzle pieces began to fall in place. She leaned forward. “Tell me everything you know.”

**

Days passed, and she couldn’t think of a way to broach the subject without risking Reid’s aggressively defensive sarcasm. But it turned out, she didn’t have to. Because when she arrived home from work that Wednesday, Reid was already there. So was Luke. And they were kissing like they might die if they stopped. Luke’s hands were gripping Reid’s hair, pulling at the short strands. Reid had wrapped his arms around Luke’s waist, holding him close.

Katie smiled. She backed away, unnoticed, and closed the front door. She’d have to finally get all the details later, of course. And find a way to take matchmaking credit _somehow_ , no matter how little sense it made. She _knew_ Reid had a thing for Luke.

For now, though, she’d just let them be.


End file.
